Continuing to Lead on Affordable Housing

The Montgomery County Council unanimously approved Bill 26-21, a bill we introduced along with Councilmember Hans Riemer to provide a 100 percent payment in lieu of taxes, or property tax abatement, for a housing development owned or controlled by the Housing Opportunities Commission (HOC), the County’s designated public housing agency, or a non-profit housing developer when at least 50 percent of the dwelling units are affordable to households earning 60 percent or less of area median income. The legislation also repeals the annual maximum aggregate amount of all payments in lieu of taxes approved under this law, which historically was not permitted to exceed an amount set annually and inhibited the County’s ability to incentivize housing.

The purpose of the County's Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) exemption is to add predictability, reduce unnecessary burdens, and lower costs for nonprofit affordable housing providers so they can better compete in the private marketplace and build more quality affordable housing so more people can access the benefits of our incredible community. Local governments, when authorized by State Law, enter into negotiated agreements with rental property owners to lower the cost of County real property and special area taxes. In return, a rental property owner commits to provide affordable housing to low-income residents.

This measure is just the latest in a series of significant efforts we have undertaken at the Council to address the housing affordability crisis in our County and in our region. Those include leading the effort to add $5 million in additional funding to our annual affordable housing commitment in our first budget, establishing a first-of-its-kind, $50 million Housing Production Fund to accelerate public housing agency projects, and incentivizing housing along transit corridors and at Metro stations.

We must partner with our nonprofit affordable housing providers to meet our housing needs because government alone cannot provide enough affordable housing to serve our residents’ needs. That’s why I am so proud of this latest effort and look forward to continued collaborations with Councilmembers, HOC, and affordable housing providers to increase the stock of affordable housing in Montgomery County.

Council Unanimously Approves

Continued Support for Life Saving

Mental Health Services

When it comes to our crisis intervention hotline, missing a call or text is too often a matter of life and death. Montgomery County is simply too good a place to allow a cry for help in our community to go unanswered because we didn’t dedicate the resources necessary to respond.

That's why I was grateful to once again work with Council President Gabe Albornoz and Councilmember Will Jawando on the passage of a $350,000 special appropriation to maintain the EveryMind telephone, text, and chat hotline through the end of the fiscal year.

Over the last two years, the hotline has experienced a 33 percent increase in the number of calls answered. With earlier support from the County, EveryMind added eight specialists and expanded crisis intervention text and chat services by four hours in the morning to ensure supportive listening, referrals, and crisis intervention remained accessible for all residents in need. This special appropriation extends that increased capacity and helps the program prepare for the transition of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline to 9-8-8, which is expected to triple the call volume.

Far more is needed to address mental health seriously and sensitively in our community, but this ongoing effort is an important step forward that will surely save lives.

IF YOU ARE IN CRISIS PLEASE REACH OUT FOR HELP. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. 301.738.2255

Montgomery County Green Buildings

Now Act Passes Committee

Councilmember Friedson speaks at the press conference announcing the introduction of the Montgomery County Green Buildings Now Act

Councilmember Tom Hucker and I recently joined colleagues on the Government Operations & Fiscal Policy and Transportation & Environment Joint Committee for a worksession on Bill 44-21, the Montgomery County Green Buildings Now Act, which we introduced together to commit annual funding to help residents and businesses retrofit their buildings to reduce carbon emissions. The Joint Committee considered several important amendments to strengthen its positive impact on the climate crisis and our most vulnerable residents, those who will be most impacted by the changing climate. I am confident that we left that meeting with an improved bill for the full Council’s consideration.

Bill 44-21 is the most significant new investment in fighting climate change in terms of actual reduction of emissions that has ever been proposed by County government. Our bill will dedicate roughly $20 million annually to the Montgomery County Green Bank, which will leverage those funds in private and public markets and provide greater access to capital for residents and businesses who are seeking energy efficiency retrofit and renewable energy projects. The Green Bank will be able to leverage 3-5 times the value of the starting capital and put forth tens of millions of dollars annually toward making our County’s building sector greener. Not only are we raising the bar for climate action, but we are providing the ladder so our residents and the private sector can actually reach it.

The critical amendments that were unanimously supported by the Joint Committee include:

1. 20% of funds must be used to support the Bank’s activities in Equity Emphasis Areas of the County.
2. 15% of the funds must be used to reduce the cost of energy projects undertaken by property owners by a loan subsidy, interest rate buydown, technical assistance, pre-development, blended capital, or other similar tools.
3. The Green Bank must not use the annual direct appropriations from the County for a project to install a new mechanical energy appliance that uses fossil fuels.

With this legislation, we are leading with the power of our example rather than just the example of our power. We are putting our money where our mouth is, dedicating revenue, and taking advantage of the Green Bank’s unique position to leverage capital and encourage energy efficiency retrofit projects where they might not otherwise occur. With the recent passage of the federal infrastructure bill, we can expect the funding we provide to the Green Bank to be matched with state and federal funds, which means that much more capital to transform energy efficiency in our county’s building sector, which accounts for half of our county’s carbon emissions.

Our work is far from done, but this legislation is an unprecedented step toward bridging the funding gap in the market for energy efficient retrofit projects and reaching our climate goals.

Reflecting on Redistricting

The new, Council-approved councilmanic district map. Click for a link to the interactive, GIS map.

Last week, the Council voted to approve the Redistricting Commission’s recommended map with minor tweaks in an effort to keep communities together. I commend the Commission members for their service and difficult work over the last year to develop a map that adheres to the guiding principles as required by the Charter. While I was pleased with certain refinements we were able to make at the Council, including reuniting the Potomac community that had been split along Seven Locks Road, righting a historical wrong by reconnecting the historic Ken Gar community with the Town of Kensington, and unifying Kemp Mill as a community of interest, I remained concerned about some remaining issues that continue to separate communities. In particular, Bethesda precincts south of the I-270 spur were separated from the rest of Bethesda and District 1 and two precincts in Chevy Chase were split from the rest of Chevy Chase, a change that residents may not have even been aware of at the time the decision was made. Similarly, throughout the process, I have raised concerns about the redistricting of North Bethesda out of District 1, although I recognize the challenge of crafting seven districts out of five, reducing and redrawing each of the five districts by 40,000-50,000 people, all while keeping with the population deviation constraints of the federal Voting Rights Act. Due to these concerns, I proposed a one week delay in the final vote. That was not the will of the body however, so I felt compelled at that moment to respectfully vote “no” on the final map.  

I am truly disappointed for District 1 to lose any of the constituents and communities we have worked with over the last three years. It has been an honor to represent the only place I have ever called home and it is my intent to continue our work should the voters allow me the privilege to serve another term. Thank you all for your continued advocacy for this exceptional community of ours.  

More information on the Redistricting Commission can be found here, including an interactive GIS map of the new seven district map.

Policing Advisory Commission Vacancy Application Deadline Extended

The Montgomery County Council is seeking applicants to fill one public vacancy on the County's Policing Advisory Commission. The position will be nominated and appointed by the County Council. Applicants of diverse, backgrounds, professions, genders, geography, abilities and ethnicities are encouraged to apply. The deadline for application has been extended to December 24, 2021 at 5:00pm.

The Commission’s duties include advising the Council on policing matters, providing information regarding best practices on policing matters, recommending policies, programs, legislation, or regulations, and conducting at least one public forum each year for community input on policing matters. The Commission must submit an annual report to the Executive and Council on its functions, activities, accomplishments and plans and objectives, by July 1 each year.

Applicants should submit a letter of interest with a resume, no more than four pages in length, to Council President Gabe Albornoz at county.council@montgomerycountymd.gov or mail to Montgomery County Council, 100 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20850. Application must be received prior to the deadline. More information is available regarding this vacancy here.

For more information about the Policing Advisory Commission, email sara.tenenbaum@MontgomeryCountyMD.gov.

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